MAMS teacher out after ‘Princesses L.I.’ cameo

Posted
Thursday, July 25, 2013 3:24 pm

Serie appearing on "Princesses Long Island."

Bravo

MAMS parent Stacy Grossman was vocal in her calls for Serie's reinstatement.

Scott Brinton/Herald

More than 100 parents, students and teachers rallied on Wednesday in support of Stefan Series, the Merrick Avenue Middle School health teacher who lost his tenured position, apparently because of his appearance on the Bravo show "Princesses Long Island."

Scott Brinton/Herald

By Brian Racow

A Merrick Avenue Middle School health teacher and football, wrestling, softball and track coach will no longer have a job come September, after he appeared in two episodes of the Bravo TV show “Princesses Long Island.”

The teacher, Stefan Serie, could be seen in the series’ pilot episode, in which he removed his shirt and drank from a red plastic cup at a backyard pool party. He also appeared in the fifth episode, eating at a restaurant with one of the show’s stars, Ashlee White.

Serie, 30, who taught at MAMS for three years, and his attorney, Joseph Kilada, say that he was forced to resign after the pilot episode aired.

The Board of Education voted to grant Serie tenure on May 8. Mara Bollettieri, the Bellmore-Merrick School District’s assistant superintendent for personnel, later informed Serie that the board would vote to rescind his tenure, according to Kilada.

According to Board of Education meeting minutes, the board voted 8-0 on June 17 to remove Serie’s tenure.

Kilada said that Serie last worked for the district on June 21, when he proctored a final exam. He charged that Serie was coerced into writing a letter about his departure from the district, disputed that it was a “letter of resignation” and said that Serie would fight his dismissal.

In a prepared statement, Bellmore-Merrick Superintendent John DeTommaso wrote that Serie submitted a letter of resignation on June 26, and the Board of Education accepted his resignation on July 9.

“Princesses Long Island” depicts the social and family lives of five women from the North Shore and one from Freeport. All are in their late 20s and early 30s, live with their parents and, according to Bravo, are self-described “Jewish-American princesses.”